Charles a



(No Model.)

0. A. BROST.

AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE.

Patented June 23,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BROST, OF LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOMALACIII J. LINEIIAN, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,608, dated June 23,1891. Application filed September 2, 1890. Renewed May 28, 1891. SerialNo. 394,441. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BROST, of Lakeville, Dakota county,Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in AutomaticlVagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brakes for ordinary road-wagons,which are adapted to be operated automatically by means of the forwardthrust of the wagon itself in descending a hill; and it consists in animproved form of brake fitted to the hubs of the forward wheels and soconnected with the neck-yoke of the team that when the pole I 5 isthrust forward against the neck-yoke the brakes are thereby applied,while with the opposite or drawing movement upon the wagon the brakesare loosened.

My invention further consists in the construction and combinationhereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a per- 2 5 spective view of my improved automatic brake, showingthe manner of connecting the same to the pole of the wagon. Fig. 2 is adetail sectional side elevation of the sliding evener-carrying bar andits connections with the pole. Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevation of thesame. Fig. 4: is a detail rear elevation and partial section of one ofthe brakes, showing the manner of applying the same to the wagon-hub;and Fig. 5 is a detail inner end elevation of the wagon hub and brake.

In the drawings, 2 represents the forward axle of the wagon; 3, one ofthe wagon-wheel hubs upon the same, the inner end of which is fittedwith a broad band 1. Around this band is arranged a strap-brake 5, oneend 6 of which is rigidly secured to the bar or arm 7, rigidly securedto or formed integral with the depending shoulder 8 of the aXle-thimble9. The other end 10 of the brake-strap is connected to the short arm 11of the lever 12,

which is pivoted at 13 to the shoulder 8. The long arm 13 of the lever12 meets midway of the axle 2 and is pivoted to the common link 14,which extends forward under the wagon-pole 15 and is pivoted to thedepend-- ing arm 16 of the yoke 17, which embraces and is pivoted to thepole with its members 18 extending above the same, and preferably behindthe evener 10. The evener is pivotally supported and braced by the strap20 in the ordinary manner upon the sliding bar 21, which is arranged ina guide 22 upon the top of the pole. This guide is preferably a bar offlat iron rigidly secured to the pole with its edges overturned'toengage the edges of the bar 21, and thus hold it in position. The bar 21is provided with a vertical standard or arm 21, which is pivotallysecured between the members 18 of the yoke 17. The bar 21 is rigidlysecured by means of the rod 25 with the neck-yoke thimble 26, whichthimble is adapted to slide upon the pole. It will thus be seen thatwith the forward movement of the evener 19, as the wagon is drawnforward by the team, the bar 21 and neck-yoke 7o thimble 26 are drawnforward to their limit (which limit may be determined in any suitableway, as by the stop 27, rigidly secured upon the pole in front of thebar 21) and the link 11 is thrust backward by means of the. yoke and itsconnections with the bar 21, thus carrying the short arms 11 of thelevers 12 forward and expanding the brakes 5. hen, however, the wagon,as carried forward by its own gravity in descending a hill, runs uponthe team, the thimble 26, engaged by the neck-yoke, is thrust back uponthe pole, together with bar 21 and its attachments, and by means of theyoke 17 carrying the link 11 forward, thus turning the short arms 11 ofthe 8 5 levers 12 backward and contracting the brakes 5 upon the bandsof the hubs. The grip of the brakes upon the hubs is thus practicallyproportioned to the forward thrust of the wagon, so that the brakes areapplied more firmly the steeper the incline and the heavier the load,while by the first pull upon the evener of the wagon the brake mechanismis reversed and the brakes instantly released. The action of the brakesis therefore wholly 5 automatic and determined by the incline of theroad upon which the wagon is moved.

In order that the mechanism may be set with the brakes off, so that thewagon may be backed by the team without the brakes being I00 applied,any suitable means of holding the mechanism from moving may be employedas, for example, the pin 28 can be dropped into an opening 29 throughthe bars 21 and and 80 in the pole beneath, thus lockingthe bar 21 uponthe pole and preventing the action of the brakes.

By carrying the brake straps over and around the hub in the direction ofthe rotation of the hub with the forward movement of the wagon, so thatthe movement of the strap itself in gripping the hub-band is in the samedirection, the brake is more efficiently applied, as the rotation of thehub assists in the gripping of the brake. If, however, the strap wereoppositely wound the rotation of the hub would be in opposition to themotion of the brake in being applied and would render it less effective.This is an important and valuable feature in the construction andapplication of my invention.

I claim 1. The combination, with the front wheel of a wagon, of astrap-brake encircling its hub and gripping the same in the direction ofthe forward movement of the wheel, a lever pivoted upon the axle andengaging said strapbrake, rigidly connected sliding evener and neck-yokesupports, and a pivoted lever linked at one end to said supports and atthe other to said brake-lever, whereby the backward movement of thesupports causes the brake to be applied and the forward movement causesit to be released, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a wagon, of band brakes engaging the hubs ofthe forward wheels, pivoted levers upon the axle operating said brakes,a longitudin'ally-sliding sup port for the evener linked to said levers,and a sliding neck-yoke thimble rigidly connected to saidevener-support, whereby as said thimbrakes, the sliding evener-carryingbar 21,

arranged upon the pole and having the standard 24:, the yoke 17, pivotedto the pole, engaging said standard and linked to the levers 12, and thesliding neck-yoke thimble 26,rig-

idly connected to said bar 21, substantially as and for the purposessetforth. or V at. The combination, with the forward wheel of a wagon,of a brake-strap encircling the hub of the wheel, ahorizontally-swinging lever pivoted to the axle engaging the loose endof said strap, adapted when operated to grip the brake upon the hub inthe direction of the forward movement of the wheel, rigidlyconnectedsliding supports for the neck-yoke and evener upon the pole of thewagon, and mechanism connecting said supports with said lever, wherebythe backward movement of the supports upon the pole, caused by theforward thrust of the wagon against the neckyoke, causes the brake to beapplied, and the forward movement of the supports upon the pole, causedby the pull of the team upon the wagon, serves to release the brake,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof 1 hereto set my hand this 22d day of August, 1890.

CHARLES A. BROS/P.

In presence of- ELIsHA BATTIN, D. O. JoHNsoN.

